Preview: Port Vale vs. Cheltenham Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Port Vale tin extremity a lengthy League Two winless tally connected Wednesday arsenic they statesman 2025 by welcoming Cheltenham Town to Vale Park.

A 3-0 decision to Grimsby Town past play dropped the Valiants down to 4th successful the table, portion Cheltenham are 14th pursuing a 5-3 nonaccomplishment versus Notts County.

Match preview

© Imago

One of the astir accordant sides successful the league astatine the commencement of the play person abruptly slowed down, with Port Vale going winless successful their past 7 home affairs.

That has them conscionable extracurricular the apical 3 and an automatic promotion, though the 2 teams presently up of Vale, Doncaster Rovers and Notts County, are lone supra them connected extremity difference.

In caller weeks, uncovering the backmost of the nett has been peculiarly hard for Port Vale, who are goalless successful 3 of their erstwhile 4 home games.

Darren Moore's men person conscionable 2 points from their erstwhile 3 location fixtures successful this competition, dropping 4 points domestically from a winning presumption astatine Vale Park this season.

Vale person won conscionable 1 of their erstwhile 8 league contests to unfastened a calendar year, defeating Forest Green 3-1 connected New Year's Day 2023.

At the campaign's midway point, the Valiants person accumulated 37 points, 11 much than they had astatine this signifier a play ago.

© Imago

What was a coagulated December for Cheltenham ended connected a hard enactment arsenic they saw their six-match unbeaten tally crossed each competitions end.

That nonaccomplishment connected Sunday besides ended their tally of 9 consecutive matches without a decision astatine home, conceding arsenic galore goals this past play arsenic they had successful their erstwhile 4 league contests combined.

On Wednesday, Michael Flynn volition beryllium seeking his archetypal distant triumph since aboriginal November against Rotherham United successful the FA Cup (3-1), portion they person not won a roadworthy crippled successful this contention since precocious October (1-0 implicit Carlisle United).

Cheltenham are winless successful 5 consecutive shot league fixtures to statesman a calendar year, each of which occurred distant from home.

The Robins tin triumph consecutive distant matches against Port Vale for lone the 2nd clip aft doing it antecedently successful 2011 and 2012.

Port Vale League Two form:

Port Vale signifier (all competitions):

Cheltenham Town League Two form:

Cheltenham Town signifier (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Over the weekend, the Vale were missing Benicio Baker-Boaitey, George Byers and skipper Ben Garrity due to the fact that of injuries, portion Tom Sang was retired with a reddish paper suspension.

Against Grimsby Town, we saw 4 caller faces who did not commencement their erstwhile crippled versus Bradford City, with Mitch Clark, Jack Shorrock, Rico Richards and Ruari Paton replacing Jason Lowe, Brandon Cover, Sang and Jayden Stockley.

We saw the aforesaid starting 11 for Cheltenham this past weekend, with 4 newcomers coming disconnected the seat who did not play connected Boxing Day, arsenic Matty Taylor, Ryan Bowman, Liam Dulson and Lewis Payne replaced Luke Young, George Miller, Ethon Archer and Ibrahim Bakare, respectively.

We say: Port Vale 3-2 Cheltenham Town

A caller twelvemonth is approaching, and we expect to spot Port Vale crook implicit a caller leafage and find their goalscoring signifier connected Wednesday against a broadside that conceded aggregate goals 3 times past month.

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